Shadow Rain
by Ddog
Summary: I put two pics I drew under the review section that go with this story. 3rd chap done. Liam and the resistance discoveres a great resource and... unique friend that Liam shares a close bond with.
1.

Shadow Rain  
By: d_dog  
I own Laura. That's bout it.  
  
  
"You know, Major, I am beginning to think you are enjoying this." Sandoval's tone was sarcastic   
as the two companion protectors sat outside a gray, windowless building in the afternoon sun. Liam   
drummed his fingers on the bench rhythmically as he waited. Zo'or had ordered the two to purchase some   
new holographic technology from one of Sandoval's connections. He sighed, and stared into space, bored   
out of his mind. "It's better than doing security checks," Liam answered. "Not by much," Sandoval snorted.  
It had been an overly boring week. Doors International was having some security troubles, and   
Renee was acting slightly agitated. Zo'or was enacting a new plan to make human life more miserable or   
something, and Liam had a pretty bad headache, with no one to comfort him but Sandoval. So far, life   
sucked. Liam groaned.  
The conversation was cut short as an argument could be heard through the door ahead. The small,   
industrial section of Buffalo, NY was filled with independent hackers, brokers, and god knows what else.   
The echoes of the yelling bounced off the tile walls as harsh words were spoken in the next room over.  
"You know, kid, I didn't hire you to sit on your ass all day and bitch." A gruff, somewhat nasty   
voice was cut short by a low, woman's – "No, you hired me to hack your competitors database. If you   
have a problem with the way I work, go find someone else who will work for a s cheap as me for the   
quality of work I do," Was the reply as the other man swore in anger.  
Liam and Sandoval looked at each other. This was entertaining.   
"You know what, kid, get the hell out of here. No one, NO one talks to the boss like that!" A loud   
crash interrupted the dialogue, several loud crashes. This was all good and fun, until several bullets pierced   
the wall across from the two protectors. Sandoval shot up, Liam close behind. However, they didn't have a   
chance to get through the door before a body was thrown past them, smashing into the wall parallel to the   
doorway.   
"Man, don't piss me off."  
Out of the doorway, an older adolescent girl glared at the pile of man in the corner. She turned   
quickly, and headed back inside the building. The man cursed, and fell unconscious due to the large welt on   
his forehead.   
More commotion erupted from inside as several loud shots resounded through the doorway. Liam,   
gun in hand, entered cautiously.  
"AHHG!" Cried a man's voice. Liam stared in shock as the girl was holding a 6ft tall man by the   
neck up against a wall. Sandoval, close behind, stared in disbelief as well.   
"Lemme go!!" She dropped the man only when several shots were fired in her direction. A bullet   
grazed her shoulder and a large, red spot appeared on her back.   
"That was not cool," she said, ignoring the blood dripping down her side. Then.. Liam's eyes must   
have closed or something, because she had moved across the room in unreal time, and had grabbed a small   
backpack from a cluttered desk nearby.  
Unfortunately, several men with large weapons burst through the door adjacent to that desk, each   
aiming for the girl. Liam and Sandoval ducked out of the line of fire, diving outside the building. Liam felt   
something hot touch his arm. It felt like fire. The next thing he knew, Sandoval was on top of him, looking   
at his arm in horror.   
"Areeaag!!" Liam cried out in pain as he gripped his left shoulder. He clenched his teeth together   
as Sandoval half dragged him behind the bench. There was a small, but bloody wound on his triceps. The   
world seemed to spin as Liam allowed felt his eyelids shut. Sandoval yelled something about getting help,   
leaving Liam alone. It felt hot, yet cold to him, as he moaned in pain, unable to move.   
Something soft touched his side, something cool and soothing. It took most of his strength, but   
Liam opened his eyes to see the girl looking down at him. She looked sad and upset, her Grey eyes   
reflecting the light from the sun. She shook her head.  
"I'm sorry…" She spoke, her voice soft. She took her own bloodied hand and placed it on Liam's   
wound. His eyes rolled back in his head from the waves of pain that overtook him. Then.. he felt a soothing   
calmness, and suddenly, the world went dark.  
  
***  
  
Laura collapsed in her bunk in pain. The bullet had grazed her abdomen, cutting her insides. He   
winced, but really wasn't worried. She would heal. However, that scumbag employer of hers hopefully   
wouldn't be so lucky.   
The small bed seemed so very soft and inviting… but first she had to take care of the given   
situation, and make sure that the man whom had been hurt because of her foolishness was all right.   
Dragging herself out of the bed, she moved to a small desk with a laptop. Pecking away, she could   
only stare in horror at the man whom she's gotten shot… a companion protector. This was a veryveryvery   
bad thing. They would try to find her… hunt her down.   
She felt so stupid. She never should have let her emotions get the best of her. Now, she may have   
to go to the hassle of creating a new identity again. Not to mention the guilt of harming another human.   
Laura's eyes narrowed. Yet, why should she give a damn about anyone else? Look what humanity did to   
her…   
  
"Major… Major, wake up…"  
The world was overly bright and cruel, and Liam wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.  
"Well, let's just let the major have his rest, Agent Sandoval. I will trust you will be able to recall   
the situation by yourself." Zo'or was not pleased that his new hardware was not in his hands.   
"I'll do a full DNA sweep for the child responsible, Zo'or." Gazing inside the medlab, Zo'or only   
sneered at Sandoval. Then, he simply walked away. Sandoval cursed.   
Heading back to the bridge, he used his global to start searching the DNA residue that had been on   
the Major's arm.  
  
Renee visited Liam a few hours later, and was surprised to find him awake and staring off into   
space when she entered his room. His hair was sticking up in about four hundred directions, and he was   
adorned in a paper-thin hospital gown.  
"Liam! How are you feeling?" She smiled at him, eyeing the bandage that lined his left arm.  
He smiled. "Hey, Renee. I'm alright."  
"Good, you had me worried! I heard about what happened…" He nodded. "I was hoping you   
would be able to tell me more about the owner of that hardware shop. He's been selling stolen hardware   
from Doors for several months now, you know." Liam shook his head.  
"All I know is what Sandoval told me about him… this was really a pick up for Zo'or, not Da'an.   
I just went along because Sandoval wanted me to, for some odd reason." He shrugged, then winced. "All I   
remember of the guy was that his face was splatted against a wall." Renee made a disgusted look.  
The hospital bed Liam was lying in felt suddenly very uncomfortable, and he swung his legs over   
the side. He stood up, his bare feet padding on the tile floor. "I want out, Renee. Any more of this food, and   
I'll have permanent damage."  
  
A few hours later, Liam was onboard the bridge of the mothership. Walking up behind Sandoval,   
he found himself staring into the face of the girl from Buffalo on his computer screen.  
"Well, that's her alright," Sandoval nearly jumped four feet in the air.  
"Major!!" Sandoval glared at the man behind him. Liam shrugged apologetically, and winced   
again. He had to stop doing that.  
"So, uh, that's the girl."  
"Yes, major, 'That's the girl'," Sandoval snapped. "Unfortunately, the FBI database will not be all   
that helpful in finding her."  
"Why?"  
"Because according to the United States government, she died in 1999."  
"Oh," Liam nodded. "That could be a problem."  
"Yes. And all of my other sources indicate she died in 1999, which is obviously not true."  
They were interrupted by Liam's global going off. "Hey Liam, this is Auger, can you come down   
for a second?" Liam nodded.  
At headquarters, Liam dumped his jacket onto a chair, and saw Renee, Auger and Street crowded   
around a computer. Low 'woah's and murmurs was all that broke the dead silence.  
"What I miss?"  
"Liam, does this look familiar?" Auger pointed to a strange symbol or marking, resembling a slash   
mark made by wild animal or something.   
"No, not really," He murmured. The marking was blood red on the computer monitor and   
obviously made in some sort of paint program, it was a graphic design. "I've never seen that before."  
"I think you have, you just don't remember," Renee looked at Auger, and he switched the image to   
a photograph.   
"That's the inside of that warehouse," Liam confirmed. Then he peered closer when he saw what   
Renee was pointing to. Auger zoomed in on the image, and on the far wall of the metal door, the same   
marking was evident, stained in something red…  
"It's the dealer's blood." Liam stared at Renee.   
"Do you know who this guy is?"   
"Hey pal, she was nice enough to take a close look at you."  
"What?"   
Auger pecked at the keypad, and a new image popped up, the face of the girl he'd seen.  
"Who is she, Auger?" Renee asked.  
"You are looking at a dead girl, or so it seems. Records show she's not alive, killed in a car   
accident in late 1999," Auger stated. It read: Laura Denoven, Age:15 Height: 5'3 Weight: 110.   
"That's what Sandoval said he found to. But she is obviously alive… I think she's a hacker or   
something. Auger, do you know her?" He shook his bald head.   
"But I have seen that symbol around before… A couple months ago, I tried to gain access to a   
network of cargo exchanges in Japan, but whoever she is, I was blocked thanks to some quick coding and   
that symbol popped up right before I was shut out… honestly, a damn fine job." The hacker sounded   
genuinely impressed. Liam stared into the soft eyes of a young girl… they were not the same as the   
piercing green irises of the one he had seen yesterday.  
"Buuuut…" Auger smiled. "I know where we can see her next appearance… I found that symbol   
on a pharmacy site that is doing some system maintenance. The 'official' schedule says that 'hired   
assistant' will be coming tomorrow to the site to do some maintenance work." He smiled, proud of himself.   
" I betcha she'll be there."  
"Good work, Auger!" Renee smiled and patted him on the back. The trio had no idea what was in   
store for them.  
  
***  
  
Laura slid out of her apartment into the brisk morning. She had wrapped the wound from the   
previous Monday, even though it was healing nicely. Draped in a large pair of faded polo jeans, and her   
sleeveless red parka, she grabbed her bike and sped off to a more populated section of Washington D.C.  
The streets of the nation's capital were full of the homeless and hungry. Gangs of street boys once   
harassed her until she hit one of them with a rock she threw at full force. The kid's skull was broken. Kind   
of ironic from her point of view. Now, most problem children left her alone.  
Braking in the densely populated section know as "The shade" to the many drug gangs, she pulled   
over and locked up her bike, arming the electric shocking device she picked up in New York last week. She   
loved the thing, it was fun coming out and seeing people stare wide-eyed at her innocent little mountain   
bike.  
She strode into the dark corridors of Henderson Pharmaceuticals.   
  
"Remind me why we're here…" Liam groaned as an excited Auger and Renee watched the   
mysterious girl enter the dark building. Auger wanted to gloat to the girl when they met up with her, and   
Renee was interested in her knowledge of stolen Doors hardware. Liam just wanted to go home. His arm   
hurt. It was way to early for this.   
"Shhh!" they both scolded as they trotted confidently to the building.  
  
But the troop of resistance were also being followed by a group of overly large, scary men. Also   
known as thugs. Dressed in the typical black, adorned in side arms, A man with a broken nose led them   
behind as they readied their weapons. The pigeons cooed softly in the morning sunlight.   
  
God, my head hurts. Laura sat rigidly in the conference room as large, bald men barked at her   
what they wanted from her new security package. Her side was still throbbing. A normal human being   
would probably have died from the wound, which meant Laura should probably be at home resting. But she   
reminded herself she was not a normal person, and she had work to do.   
The conference was cut short as gunfire exploded from the hallway. Men cursed and Laura felt her   
muscles tense and flex. Her ears sensed many voices, some familiar… she smelled the disgusting stench of   
that ugly man she'd pummeled the other day. The one that caused her a bullet wound. Her eyes narrowed   
into slits.  
She stepped into the hallway, muscles shifting and burning. Her side felt like it was on fire.   
Several people had spotted her and began to fire in her direction. Laura cursed, and ducked back inside the   
room. I'm pissed. Let's do this right. She thought and her body began to shift.  
  
Liam squinted as he fired at the attacking men. One second, there was lively chit-chatter between   
Auger and Renee, then BOOM! The whole goddamn world exploded. Renee was up front somewhere, who   
knew where Auger was and- Thump.  
Auger cried out to warn Liam, but it was too late, a man had already smashed his head with the   
butt of a gun and the two of them went sprawling into a nearby room. Renee saw the incident, and went   
after the disoriented companion protector. She reached the door with a thud, avoiding the constant gunfire.   
As it swung shut, it made a clicking noise, and then locked. She let out a frustrated cry. Fate was not being   
fair to her, for the door was sealed shut.  
  
Liam groaned as he lay sprawled out on what seemed to be a conference table. His gun had gone   
flying across the room and was out of his view. Sweating and enraged, the man he'd watched get smashed   
into a brick wall hauled him to his feet and started screaming. Three others were behind him.  
"WHERE is the GIRL!?" Liam could only shake his head, he had no idea-  
He felt the sting of a blow to his face, and he kissed the floor. Papers went flying in the dimmed   
room, and the world seemed to be spinning along with them. It occurred to him, out of the blue, that this   
had been a really bad day. He managed to turn around to the sounds of a muffled Renee yelling his name.   
His battered mind managed to comprehend the form of the man coming at him, but his body wasn't doing   
what he wanted it too-  
A low groaning sound filled the room. The dark walls of the conference area seemed to suddenly   
loom over the approaching man, and he paused to look up. The groan grew to a growl, and the thug saw a   
shadow fly across the table.   
Renee watched through the small window as someone, no, something came at the thug mauling   
Liam. Shrieks and cries of horror emerged from behind the locked door, and she beat her hands on the   
door.  
"Liam!! Liam, get out of there!" Auger was then at her side, panting. No more shots were fired,   
only the horrid noises of bones cracking broke the silence.  
  
Liam watched the blurry world sway as he stood, or tried to stand. He shook his head and saw red   
splattered across the table. A man was screaming in the corner, and firing a handgun at what looked like a   
large black dog. A very large black dog… Liam slid back against the wall, and saw his gun lying in the   
corner. It was an unthinkable effort, but he grabbed the weapon and looked back across the room to see   
something… bloody and gruesome.  
The man's neck had been ripped open, and his still working arteries were squirting blood   
everywhere. On the table, stood a large, black leopard, or panther or something. It's eyes were a pale green   
and it's mouth hung open. He saw blood running along it's side, collecting on the table and then dripping   
off. It all seemed to surreal to Liam… and he thought maybe, somehow he was dreaming. His head felt   
disconnected, like it was not his own. He looked up again, but the thing was gone.   
He started as something touched him.  
"Renee," he murmured, expecting his friend. Instead, the girl knelt beside him. She too was   
covered in blood. Here eyes were the same cold, cloudy gray. "No.. l.-look out, there is something here,"   
He tried to whisper, to warn the young woman so she might be able to get away.  
Instead, she leaned in closer. She looked at her torso and winced, appearing to make a decision.   
Renee and Auger were burning through the door, trying to get to their friend. Men lay bleeding   
everywhere. This could not be real.  
The girl touched Liam's forehead, and the world cleared. Everything became sharp and detailed.   
He could even make out the whisper-  
"I'm so sorry…" Then, a flood of cool energy seemed to flow through her hand, and all the pain   
went away. She herself groaned in pain, and fell back. Liam could see now that her side had been either   
injured or re-injured, for it was bleeding very badly. Liam looked at the girl in horror as her eyes closed.  
"Liam!" Auger cried as he and Renee burst through the door.   
"I'm ok, it's ok, but help her!!" He cried, feeling helpless. The two looked to the floor and saw   
what Liam was pointing at. They winced, but Liam was on his knees lifting her head.  
"She saved me…" He said. His eyes were wide. Auger ran out of the room. Renee looked over her   
friend- the previous arm and head wounds were gone.   
Auger cried out from outside, motioning for the others to come. Liam lifted the girl and raced   
outside. Her breath was shallow, and she looked deathly pale. His only concern was for her… for in that   
moment, when he was healed, he realized somehow she had given on herself to save him.   
Renee opened a portal to the resistance headquarters, and the three jumped inside.  
  
***  
Many hours later.  
  
They had laid her on a medtable, Liam holding her hand as Renee Pulled a heating blanket over her body.   
She was unconscious, and somehow hypothermic.  
Dr. James, a friend of Renee's, worked over the girl with a passion, closing the wounds and   
attempting to heal her battered body.  
"My god, it's amazing she's alive." The doctor murmured as she began scanning the girl's body.   
"Her temp is 90Degrees, and her pulse is racing… oh my god, Renee…"  
"What?"  
"Her… bioscans show that her… her DNA is.. fluctuating?" She looked puzzled.  
"How can that be?"  
"I don't know, but her temp is rising. I'm going to give here something to slow her pulse.  
"She's strong... lots of muscle mass." He looked at her form. "God.. what happened in there?"  
"Alright. She's out of danger now… Oh, god, James! I forgot to pick up Zack from the airport!   
Liam, I have to leave… Watch over her and I'll be back soon." She rushed out the door, leaving Liam with   
his mouth half-open.   
"Why don't you take her to one of those beds back there?" Auger suggested. Liam nodded. She   
had made an entirely unnatural recovery… it was simply wrong that her body could have recovered so fast.   
He lifted her still shivering form over to one of the beds in the back rooms of the headquarters. He lay her   
down gently, and made sure she was all right as he found use of Auger's shower stall he insisted he put in.   
He felt the warm water pelt and wash over his body, the spray massaging his chest and arms. The   
warmth and comfort seemed to wash away the horrid memories of pharmaceutical building and what had   
been inside. His eyes closed, forcing the memories away, and yawned. He shut off the water, the steam   
keeping him warm as he dried himself and slipped into a pair of sweatpants and t-shit. Refreshed and   
comfortable, He made his way back into the dark room where his mystery guest lay. The feeling of steam   
had lulled Liam, and he felt his eyes close. He glanced at the clock nearby; my god, it was almost eleven at   
night. Wandering into the main room, he found Auger pecking away at his computer yet again. Auger   
turned to see Liam and his eyes widened.  
"Man, you look awful! Why don't you go get some sleep?" Liam only groaned, and then realized   
that a warm bed might be a nice thing. As he walked back, he grabbed a few extra blankets in the locker   
outside the room, and decided to lie next to her. Exhaustion was wearing down his body, and that was the   
only bed around. At least he could keep an eye on her, and he would be there if she woke up.  
He felt the sheets on his body, the cool of a pillow, and the steady breathing of the girl. Despite   
being underground, he heard the soft thudding of rain above. It was a constant, soothing sound.   
He felt the warmth of the girl beside him, and was terrified that she was waking up when she   
groaned and shifted position. She winced in her sleep as she managed to role over, right into his chest. Her   
head was right under his chin, so he studied her face in the darkness. Here eyebrows were knitted in pain,   
even in unconsciousness. Her soft brown hair was sticking up in a thousand directions. It was shorter than   
his was. The cuts of the morning were silent reminders of the horrific disaster that had brought her here.   
She moaned again, and curled up against his body. Liam felt a soothing… almost energy or aura come from   
her body, which was pressed against his own. Or perhaps that was only his imagination.   
Regardless, the soft sounds of rain and the rhythmic breathing of the girl had a lulling affect of the   
exhausted companion protector. Soon, Liam was sound asleep.  
  



	2. Chapter two: recognition

  
  
Chap two  
  
  
It was that dream again. It was so goddamn realistic. She could feel the snow biting her bare skin, she could hear the wind howling its rage in her ears. Barefooted and without clothing, she raced through the woods and prayed that she might live to see another day. People behind her, screaming, shooting. And a whispering in her mind, her heart. That strange whispering...  
  
A loud roar of thunder shattered the dream. All was dark and quiet. Shuddering,   
Laura refused to open her eyes. First, she had to piece together what happened. The guns, the conference... oh god. What had happened?   
Eyes still closed, she tasted the air. It smelled moist and dark. And of someone else close by. She heard his breaths and felt his warmth. It was the man she'd saved.   
Opening her eyes, the room was pitch black, without even the moon to cast it's cold gaze. Her pupils widened from slits to ovals, and she could clearly see the face of the companion protector, a few inches from her own. His face looked calm and peaceful, like a child's. It was rather odd being this close to another human being, and she fought not to move back. There was a time when she would have howled in rage, and tore out of the room like the wind itself. But there was an aura about this man, something she'd never felt before. Whatever six sense she'd acquired over the years told her that he was, in fact, a innocent human being. That in itself was a rarity.   
The only light in the room was the dull red of a digital clock. It was early in the morning, 4:30. She wanted to get up, leave, but her body was refusing to comply. Damn,   
I must have been hurt worse than I thought...   
There were voices coming from somewhere close by. A man and a woman's.   
Without too much strain, she would understand what they were saying.  
  
"How is she?"  
"Alright, I checked on her bout' half an hour ago. It's so cute, Renee, Liam's all curled up next to her." There was some chuckling. Laura's eyebrows rose. "Anyway,   
Street's on her way over from some rave or whatever in London."  
"Good. I took care of the scene from this afternoon... but Sandoval go to those thugs before I did. I doubt they have any info, but still..."  
  
Liam, the man she assumed was beside her, groaned softly and rolled on his back.   
She watched his eyes flutter open, and the momentary confusion set in. She held her breath as he turned to her and his eyes caught hers. It was an awkward moment.  
  
"Um... hi there." He tried stifled a yawn with no success, and rolled to face her.   
She managed a small grin. His eyes were half closed and his hair was sticking up in oh, maybe sixty directions. Sometimes it was nice to have perfect night vision.  
"Hello." That was as much as her battered brain could muster. So much for conversation. She attempted to sit up, and winced. Hopefully the protector hadn't seen that. The whole 'weak' thing was rather embarrassing to her.   
"Hey, be careful!" Liam said, alarmed. He gently pushed her back to a lying position. "Are you feeling ok? What did you do to me? What happened to you? Are-"   
Her eyes closed at the barrage of questions. She was feeling kind of light-headed and dizzy all of the sudden. Apparently, think was a bad thing to do at the moment.   
The next thing she knew, there were people around her. There was a small lamp on a table next to the bed that was coming close to blinding her sensitive eyes. Liam was no longer next to her, but a dark bald guy with interesting glasses was standing on that side of the bed hollering into a room off to the side. A woman was staring at her with clouded eyes.   
"I didn't do anything! She just passed out!"  
"I didn't say you did, I asked if you'd go get a glass of water Liam, calm down!"  
He hurried back into the softly lit room and Auger snatched the glass, and handed it to Laura.  
"Hey, here. Drink this, you're prolly' dehydrated." She accepted eagerly and half sat up to gulp the liquid down.  
"Alright. My name is Renee, and you are someplace safe. Can we ask you some questions?"   
"Renee, she just woke up, don't you think she'd like some rest first?" Liam and   
Auger glared at Renee. The lack of sleep was wearing on the three of them.  
"It's alright, I feel better now. I owe you for getting me out of there, but if you are gonna ask me stuff, maybe I might get some aspirin and sit up or on a couch or something... I don't wanna fall back asleep right now." Here eyes were now a piercing green. Auger disappeared, and Liam helped her to her feet. She was still adorned in the tattered clothing.   
"Um here, you can borough some of my clothing." Liam went outside the room   
and then returned with a duffel bag. He pulled out a t-shirt and sweats. She nodded her thanks.   
"Um... gimme a minute?" Liam and Renee left the room.   
"He Renee... You alright?" Liam cast his gaze to the tense woman next to him.   
She just shrugged, but the protector could tell she was tired. "Hey, how bout after this, we go grab some breakfast, alright?" He was rewarded with a soft smile. The whole resistance team had been pressed to the limit lately, but since yesterday... it seemed to be worth the sleeplessness. Who ever this girl was, maybe she could help them.  
Auger was sitting on the couch in the main room, clutching a coffee mug to his chest. Liam and Renee sat next to the hacker.  
"Me and Liam are going for breakfast later, care to join?"  
"Who's gonna stay with the kid?"  
"Actually, I really wasn't planning on staying." The three turned to see a young woman dressed in a huge pare of sweatpants (on her) and a large black t-shirt. The darkness under her eyes had faded, and her eyes themselves were bright and aware. "I'll answer your questions as best I can, but I need to be on the move. It's a survival thing,"   
She said.  
She sat across from the trio. Auger handed her some aspirin. She nodded her thanks and swallowed them down.  
"Do you know where you are?" Asked Renee.   
"Resistance headquarters. Washington D.C." Liam's eyes widened.  
"How about your name?" asked Auger. She nodded.  
"My name is Laura. Actually, I am really known and Jace (j-ase). I am twenty years old." Renee's eyebrows rose. She looked only to be a teenager!   
Liam looked seriously at Laura/Jace. "You saved my life. How?"  
"And what's with the black cat trip that you pulled?" Auger questioned. She sighed. She did owe these people, but they were asking some questions she did not want to answer.  
"Trip?" She eyed Auger. "You have no idea what a 'trip' it is, bud." Her eyes flashed. Liam saw where this was heading tried to soothe the conversation.  
"I want to know why you saved me." She averted her gaze to Liam's.  
"You were innocent. Believe it or not, I have this bitch of a conscience. It makes me do these 'help people' things occasionally." She shrugged. Liam had the feeling there was more to it than that. "And as for the cat 'trip', that's running personal there. Let's say   
I was caught up in some government DNA testing that went bad. That's all." She shrugged again. Renee snorted.  
"That is highly improbable. If something like this were to happen, then Doors would have known about it." Auger and Liam looked at Renee.  
Jace just blinked. Then started to laugh. It was not a humorous laugh, but a rasping chuckle that seemed to command fear. "Oh really. I see you know everything there is to know, hmm?" She raised her hand above the table, as if to give a high five.   
Liam gasped in disbelief as that hand... shifted to something padded and fur-covered.   
Dagger like claws tipped black-furred paw-like fingers, each covered with a feline pad.   
Only her hand changed, the rest of Jace remained human.  
"Tell me what you know about this. Over the years, the human race has pissed me off more than the Taelons ever had. They call themselves god, mess with other's lives, hopes, dream and goddamn DNA. They live only for themselves and their own profit. I saved Liam Kincaid's life because he had the decency to try and warn me of an attack. A rare thing, indeed." Her hand dropped to her side, and returned to normal. Her eyes seemed to glow in anger. "I'm glad you and Doors International know everything. That makes my life that much easier, except for when you want something from me, and then you're all suck-ups." She closed her eyes.  
Renee stared in disbelief. Liam felt ashamed and Auger just sat there.  
"Now, if you are through, I thank you for your help, but I have to be going." She stood, and made her way towards the elevator. Liam jumped after her, leaving Auger and the startled Renee behind.  
"Wait! Laura-er, Jace, wait!" He barely made it into the elevator before it closed. She was simply shaking her head. "I'm sorry!"  
"Why should you be? You can't take the blame for your friends. Besides, they are probably just tired." She winced. "So am I." Her eyes seemed to mist over. "Look, how about we just meet up for dinner or whatever. I'll answer what I can and then I can get back to finding new work." She took a pen from him shirt pocket, and scribbled something onto Liam's hand. Then she simply looked, and walked out the church doors into the early morning rain.  
  
Several hours later  
  
The small apartment seemed peaceful and warm, for once. Jace was sprawled out on her top bunked pecking into her Sony laptop. Her insides still felt rather screwed up, and Tylenol was not helping that much. The small bunk's sheets were rolled into a ball, empty chinese takeout boxes were hung neatly in the rungs. A small pill bottle was discarded into an empty box, with no name and label. It's contents had been taken that evening... Jace glanced at the bottle and closed her eyes in pain. She wished the damn stuff would work already. A crash of thunder shook the building. The weather had been rather bad, the darkened sky howled and stormed.  
She sighed and laid back against the pillows that were pilled up and the bunk's end. Being a hacker was all right, but doing it for someone else was just... so starting to suck. She was tired of working for assholes. Tired of not knowing when she would have a job.  
Her computer beeped, jarring her out of thought. She had received an email;  
  
Hey Jace,   
Will you meet me and Renee at Starbucks on Portland Ave tomorrow?  
7:30pm  
-Liam Kincaid  
  
She blinked. That was kinda... blunt. Alright. She could do that. She stretched and yawned. But first, it was definitely time for some gaming in her new playstation 4.  
  
7:31, Starbucks Café  
  
"You know, I think I am getting addicted to this stuff," Liam murmured into his latte'. The small diner was set back into an old stone building, and the dim lighting and   
soft music seemed to soothe Renee's nerves. Liam did well to bring her here.  
"Do you see her?" She asked?  
"No, not yet..." He peered over the small crowd of people. "There!"  
She was dressed in baggy black leather pants and a green shirt. Her short brown hair was now... short red spiked brown hair. She sat across from the pair. Her gray eyes seemed to be flicked with green, matching her shirt.  
"Hey."  
Renee only smiled. "You look... healthier."   
"You mean I don't look like I'm dying."  
"That too."   
Jace looked sideways for a moment, then returned her gaze to Renee. "I'm sorry   
I snapped at you before. For the most part... I simply do not like people."   
Renee was surprised to hear her apology, she hadn't expected that at all. She nodded.   
"Now, ask what you need, because I don't like being surrounded by people like this." The companion protector quirked his eyebrows. A kind of weird thing for a teenager- er, twenty-year-old to say.  
Renee pulled her global from her side. "Here's the list: Who are you, really? And do you need our help?" Laura blinked in surprise.  
"With what?"   
"You seem to be a mystery, Jace. You technically don't exist. You are far more equipped to handle injury than any of us are. According to your DNA and medscans... you aren't even human." The girl's eyes grew narrow, and she closed her eyes, as if to hide some dark emotion within. She only whispered... I know. Liam could tell they had hit some kind of nerve.   
"Jace..." He reached out, and touched her arm. "That's what we mean. You don't have to do this alone... we'll help you." His eyes were kind and sincere. Jace was in a state of shock, not willing to believe that someone, a human being, had offered that.   
She didn't have time to reply, because the beeping of a global interrupted her gaping.   
"Major, will you please come to the mothership? There is something I need to discuss with you." Da'an inquired over the global. Liam nodded.  
"I need to leave... I'll be back as soon as I can, Renee." He stood, smiled at Jace and left. Renee was left alone with the young woman.  
  
"Yes, Da'an?" The protector asked as he entered Da'an's chamber aboard the   
mothership. The Taelon was facing a computer monitor. Zo'or was behind, looking over his shoulder.  
"Thank you for joining us, Major. There is an issue we need to discuss," Zo'or quipped. Liam stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that screen; it was Laura! Or a younger version of the Laura he knew.  
"Do you recognize this human child, Major?" Asked Zo'or. Liam nodded.  
"She's the one that was involved with the pharmaceutical incident a few days ago... Laura Denoven.   
We never found who she was." Zo'or's grin grew wider. Liam swallowed. That was a bad look...  
"Did you notice anything strange about her, Major?" inquired Da'an. Liam shook his head. "We do not believe she is human." He widened his eyes, trying to look shocked.   
"There was apparently some genetic testing done a few months after our arrival on earth... our technology was already in the hands of thieves and resistance," He sneered, "There was a project conducted by a sub-governmental group in the united states. The project, named 'Genova', apparently used our technologies and tried to re-write the human DNA and RNA buy using that of another earth creature. We have known of this project for some time, and until now, we believed it to be a failure, as in our testing with the Taelon/human hybrid. We were... ill informed.  
"There were a few successes..." Da'an fiddled with the keypad, and the faces of other young kids were shone... Laura/Jace's was among them.  
"We thought they were all deceased... until you and agent Sandoval's encounter with them earlier." Da'an explained. "They are... a protootype that was never meant to be... we wish you to find the last of them, Major Kincaid." Zo'or smiled his evil smile, and left the room.  
"Major... I do not wish the child to be harmed. Here is all data I could find on her." He handed his protector a data disk. "She does not have much time left, I fear, between her nature and Zo'or's intentions for her. Go, find her Liam."  
  
In his office a while later, Liam held his head in his hands. Jace was in very real danger... He looked back at the screen in horror.  
  
Genova Entry log, June 12th, 2000  
  
As of 15:00 hrs, specimen drw-2002 is still stable, but we do not know for how long. Her   
RNA is not transporting the new encodments, and her body is threatening to shut down,   
like all the others. It is amazing she has survived this long. Somehow, her body is able to   
withstand the pain of repectunation without drugs, and she remains conscious. For   
reasons unknown, she is the only remaining prototype of the Genova project left alive...  
  
Genova Entry log, July 20th, 2000  
  
Drw-2002 has revolted against her captors. We have barely been able to sustain the   
damage from her rage. She has grown too powerful, and can produce massive amounts of   
damage with a horrifying amount of power. While she is growing resistant to all forms of   
physical pain, only the emotional and psychological treatments are effective to control   
her. While this is considered progress, we are afraid that we have pushed the limit of   
human suffering too far and she may soon be impervious to all forms of containment. We   
have begun testing a new neurological drug specifically designed to shut down the   
subject's immune system. We fear that it may be the only hope of containment in the near   
future.  
  
Genova Entry log, September 4th, 2000  
  
At 07:00 hrs, drw-2002 had effectively escaped from the confinements of the camp. It has   
been over 5 hrs, and we have been unsuccessful in retrieving the subject. A small amount   
of the hangmen's drug, I.E. polybutranic serum 4560, had been injecting into the subject   
i.e. an ineffective tranquilizer gun shot. Hopefully this will cause massive infection when   
introduced to bacterial and viral contaminants. If this fails, a backup virus was implanted   
in polybutranic serum 4560, It will eat away the immune system of the subject at a rate of   
15/hg per day. At such a rate, the subject will not live long without the anti-virus.  
  
"We do not know how long she has to live, Liam... but perhaps we can help her and in turn learn about her..." Da'an spoke as he walk up behind the shaken Liam. The protector stood, and looked at the Taelon...   
"I'll find her if I can, Da'an."  
  
  



	3. Chapter three: understanding

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Late that night, Renee was sitting in her apartment; relaxing for once, listening to soft ballets and reading a book, all nestled on her favorite couch. A soft knock on her door made her frown. 

Her opened door revealed a weary Liam, carrying a disk in his left hand.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

She stepped aside, and the protector dragged himself into her softly lit apartment. Renee saw something in his eyes, concentration, something? He was obviously not with it, and she led him over to the couch.

He grunted as his body fell to the cushion. Liam watched Renee pull a chair up to face him. She eyed him with concern.

"What happened up there? You look awful!" He shook his head.

"I have a question… about the resistance." She nodded her head regardless, for that was not what she had been expecting. "I was thinking… do you think Jace is a candidate for the resistance? I mean, she is smart, strong, and we could use her and her skills…" Renee looked aside for a moment, then she nodded.

"Alright. But I don't see why that would bother you so much." Then Liam's head rose, and she gasped at the look of anguish on his face. He proceeded to tell her what he's learned on the mothership, and the horrors of Jace's existence. By the time he had finished, the clock read 2:15am, an hour later, and Renee looked as shaken up as he.

"How… what exactly did that injection do to her?" He lowered and shook his head. "I know that it is slowly eating away at her trigger helix…" She gave him a blank look.

"A normal human has two helixes in their DNA, which store genetic data. RNA transports the DNA and the two work together in every cell of your body," he paused. She motioned for him to continue.

"I have three helixes, that which makes me Kimera. Jace… has… five." Renee's eyes widened.

"Five?" He nodded. "How? It's not possible!"

"Apparently, the doctors working on the Genova project were able to manipulate the human cell, and all of its components. Somehow, the changed the structure of her DNA." He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to recall what he had learned from the mothership. 

"They formed a helix that was composed of five strands; two were her own, two where that of the _felis panthero, _the panther. They are attached by a final fifth strand, which unlike the others does not carry any genetic info. It's a straight strand that the other four gravitate around. Apparently, by sending a specific impulse from her brain, she can activate this fifth strand, and the other four kind of… join, to form a double helix. At this time, the two combined helixes are still connected by the fifth strand, the 'trigger helix'. She is then in her… feline form. By stopping to impulse, the four strands return to gravitate around the trigger helix." He let his head fall back against the couch, exhausted.

Renee only looked away, deep in thought. "Then why is that… hangman's serum so dangerous?"

Head still back, Liam replied, "Because it disables the fifth strand so she can't shift. It also caused the fifth strand to reject the original impulse, and sends its own out. Basically, it can shut down her immune system. The injection she received that day at the Genova complex was 1/100000 of the original dose. I don't know what it is doing to her… but I learned that over time, it will destroy that fifth strand completely, and who knows what will happen… It also said that the hangman's serum caused extreme physical pain."

Renee immediately rose from her chair and grabbed her global. She left a message for Jace, asking to speak with her. She was surprised reached the wide-awake girl, and Jace informed her that she would talk with Renee in a few minutes, after she finished something. Renee thanked her, and set the Global on her kitchen counter. When she returned to the living room, Liam hadn't moved, his chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm. Renee padded across the wood floor and pulled a blanket from an opposite chair. She returned and draped it over Liam's silent form. Then she turned off the lights and returned to the kitchen to find her global beeping at her.

"Sup?" Jace, unlike her companion protector friend, seemed wide-awake, guitar, drums and vocal music humming in the background.

"My, you're really active at three in the morning." Jace shrugged.

"I'm nocturnal." Renee laughed, and then realized she was probably serious. 

"I called you because we have decided to offer you a job." The music was abruptly shut off.

"Really? Like what?" 

"We would like you to help us here, with the resistance." Jace snorted.

"Right, you want me to bow down to that Hubble dumass?" Renee felt a smile tease the corners of her mouth. Jace seemed to be in a very good mood, with no visible sign of illness.

"It pays money, you get free coffee, and all you have to do is help us out a little." Jace seemed to ponder that idea for a few moments.

"How bout' I stop over at Doors tomorrow after I figure some stuff out, ok?" Renee nodded, pleased. 

Jace put the global down on her desk and placed another ancient Dave Matthews Band Diskette into her music system. Laying on the bottom futon couch beneath her bunk, she turned on her old VCR and placed a tap into it's metallic mouth. She sighed sadly as the TV showed a band playing during a football game, some years ago. _Christ, memories are a bitch,_ was the last thing she thought before she shut it off and went to bed.

The next morning, Jace dragged herself off the couch and groaned, unhappy to be awake. Dragging her unwilling self into the shower, she made a mental list of things to do that day.

A job, a constant job might be a good thing. It wasn't official, which meant no one would be asking questions. She decided to go ahead to Doors International.

Sandoval entered the office of Cameron Vosloo, a director in the CIA.

"Welcome, agent Sandoval, I have been expecting you." Sandoval found himself in the presence of a tall, dark skinned man wearing a dark gray suit with an accent and a nasty scar that lined his lower left jaw.

Sandoval sat in a chair infront of the Director Vosloo sign upon the desk. "I came here to inquire the whereabouts of the drug you wish to sell me." Vosloo smiled coldly.

"You believe you have located Drw-2002?" 

"Perhaps, but I would like to have an edge over her should I find her," Sandoval replied, just as icy.

"Let me explain something, Mr. Sandoval. We do not like intrusions into our projects, regardless how powerful your employer may be. If she is to be found, we will find her first. However, since you have agreed to supply us with the Taelon gene tech we bargained for, I suppose…" He reached a strong hand into his coat pocket and removed a small vial containing an almost neon blue liquid. Sandoval took the vial, handed over a data diskette containing the proper access codes to what Mr. Vosloo wanted, and walked out of the building with a sense of accomplishment. 

_Later that week_

"I really don't like this at all."

Jace sat upright on a medtable at resistance headquarters. Screens monitoring her heart and other things beeped around the room, connected by wires into Jace's veins and body. 

Her eyes were narrow and she was very tense. Dr. James hmmmed about this and that as Jace glared at Auger, Street, Renee and Liam.

"I repeat: Jace does _not_ like this. Hurry up." Auger stifled a smile. Jace uttered something so low that not even Dr. James, standing beside her, could understand. She shooed the others out of the room, leaving Jace and the doctor.

"I have a few questions for you, Laura." Jace looked up. "I'm sorry, Jace. I was reading from the bio I'm writing for you," Jace's eyes narrowed.

"No bio." 

"It's required."

"Not for me," She replied. "I can't have that information in the wrong hands, simple as that." Dr. James agreed… for now.

After about an hour, Jace returned rubbing her arm where the needle had taken her blood.

"I'm going to leave you all to ooo and ahh over my blood sample, now. I'm going home and to bed."

"But it's three in the afternoon…" Auger said.

"And how late was I up?" Auger only shrugged. Liam and Renee sat on the couch as Dr. James entered the room.

"It's just incredible!" 

"We know, we know. What did you find on that fifth strand?" Renee asked. The doctor's face turned blank, devoid of excitement. 

"I can't describe it... come here." They followed into the medlab.

On the screen was the image of Liam's description; the four squiggle lines rotating around a center line. However, the center line appeared bright red, and almost throbbed. 

"It's like it's infected, almost. In every cell of her body, that strand is infected. And what's worse… it's falling apart. It appears that she is taking some kind of medication to slow the process… but when that strand dissipates, the other four will do something… perhaps something fatal."

Liam knocked on Jace's apartment door, feeling kind of awkward. He wasn't supposed to know where she lived… but he did now. And he really wanted to talk to her.

There was the sound of a bolt unlocking when door creaked open, and a murmured 'come in' emerged from the room. Liam stepped into a hacker's paradise, computer junk hanging everywhere, a small table and kitchen area that was covered with books and dust.

Jace was lying in the top of a bunk bed, her arm hanging over the side and her hair draped over the side. Her eyes were all squinted shut.

"Ugghh. To early, come back later," She groaned. 

"I really want to talk to you," Liam said, still horrified by the condition of the apartment.

A small while later, Jace was grasping her coffee like a lifeline as she and Liam sipped in the ever-reliable Starbucks. 

"Guuhh. I hate you now, you know that?" She whimpered to Liam as a loud crash of thunder shook the building. "It's not even eight at night. I don't get up until ten…" Liam took his hand and covered her mouth to shut her up.

After her dose of caffeine, they sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Liam asked his questions.

"I… we know about the infection in your DNA." He wanted to go on, the Jace's look of horror stopped him momentarily. He swallowed, looked away, and then forced himself to continue.

"The doctor said something was combating the injection, like an anti-virus. Otherwise you would have died-"

Jace looked away. For the first time, Liam saw something… innocent and childlike in her eyes. Fear? Pain? Something. Something that made his reach out to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to upset you-"

"There is nothing more upsetting that the truth, Liam." She stood, feeling cornered in the confining space of the booth. She looked outside and the darkening sky. The ground was dry, but a shadowed rain was threatening to fall.


	4. Chapter four: trusting

Chapter Four: trusting

Chapter Four: trusting

Liam followed Jace out the coffee shop into the moist dark night air. She had been fairly upset by his words but she had also confirmed what he most feared; he had been right about her condition. She had been injected with something that had the power to kill her. Liam was also shocked to realize that he cared a lot about a young woman be had barely known for two weeks.

The wind foretold of the nights' rain. It tousled Jace's unnaturally red hair, revealing speckles of brown beneath. Liam watched her eyes as the streetlight reflected and sparkled on the deep green irises. He shook his head. If he let his eyes gaze into hers long enough, sometimes the effect was hypnotic.

She turned to face him. They had wandered in silence to the flat planet café. He motioned her to follow him.

"Um... it's a bar. And more. I really don't want to go in there." 

"My apartment is upstairs. I'd like to talk about… stuff. Nothing to do with your… differences." Her eyes glimmered. "Promise."

Liam's apartment was dark and quiet. He motioned for her to sit on a couch. Jace felt herself sink into the soft leather as Liam sat across from her. He left the lights off.

"What's it like?" 

"What, shifting? Or being an outcast on your own world?" She asked bitterly, looking away.

Liam rose, and sat next to her on the couch.

"I know the latter, Jace." He put his hand in hers, trying to break through whatever mental barriers she had up. Her hand was small in his, and it shook. 

"What's wrong?" She shook her head. 

"Oh, it's nothing." She said as she pulled away, standing to look outside the window. The setting sun's twilight cast an eerie yet beautiful gaze against the clouds.

"Is that the result of the small dosage of Hangman?" She whipped to face him, ready to chew is pathetic human head off when Jace saw the sincerity in his face. She turned away, almost ashamed.

A whispered, "yes" was her quiet reply. "I created an anti-toxin to it years ago. While 100% of the drug would cause immediate affects… what they gave me is eating away slowly… Who knows how long I have, but I really don't worry about it, I mean, it's hard just to live in a world like this, and I really can't say it's that great for me, after all-"

She felt Liam next to her, his face illuminated by the lightning of the coming storm. He presence silenced her. 

"There is something else, I can feel it, Laura." He moved closer to her, towering over her small form. "Tell me," He said softly. For the first time, Jace felt in the weakened spot, like she had no choice.

"It's just… hard. That's all. It gets to me."

"The drug?"

"No…" She tried to return to the center of the room, but the protector's strong form blocked her way. "It's the fact that I can never go back…" She bowed her head, as if in shame. "I can't see those I care about, because if I involve them, they could die. I can't tell them it's not their fault, I can't apologize for what I've done, and I can never stop thinking about it!"

Frustrated, and on the verge of tears, she attempted to quickly turn and walk away, but again Liam was there. She ran right into him, her head hitting about his chest. He stood firmly rooted to the spot, and grasped Jace's body, forcing it still.

"Why would it be their fault?"

"Because I was stupid enough to ask for their help before! And-" now there was no stopping it. Unshed tears of the past slid down her face. Attempting to regain her composer, she turned away, towards the window. The storm raged full, as if in tune with her feelings. "B-before they took me, my parents, they fought and drank and hurt and I couldn't stop it! I tried to help them, but in t-turn I couldn't even help myself! I asked a teacher for help, a-an' god, he did! They were so good, my boyfriend, my friends and him, my teacher and-and then, I tried to end it-" She paused to breathe, for Jace was lost in the painful memories of her dark past. "I tried, but he stopped me. H-he was like a dad to me… and then, everything was ok! I handled my parents and I was ready for collage, then the- _bastards_ " Her weeping eyes darkened with a sorrowful rage, "They took me to hell. I can't trust, I can't! I don't want to hurt anyone or myself again!

"I want to tell him that I didn't kill myself, that I'm strong, thanks to him, that it's not his fault…" She almost doubled over in a fit of painful tears.

The world was caving in on Jace. Her strong, impenetrable walls she had built were gone, and she felt like she was lost, forever. Then a lifeline was flung to her; she felt Liam's strong arms wrap around her like a warm blanket. He rested his head on her shoulder, and held her close to him as the agonies of her past washed over her like a tidal wave. Now he could understand that hidden emotion in her eyes…

The thunder lessened, and only the rain remained.

He gently scooped the young woman in his arms, for at that moment, she was nothing more than a child, caught in the past. He carried her to his bedroom, and lay her down on his bed. Tears still flowed down her face, and she was still caught in memories. Liam quickly removed his shirt and shoes, and climbed into the comfortable bed to lie next to Jace. He pulled her next to him, and brought the comforter over them, like a shield or wall against the outside world.

Her eyes were open, but she was not looking at anything he could see. Liam did not grow up like she did, over time, but he understood what it was like to not be able to see one's parents… but god forbid they be abusive!

He lifted her face to meet his own. He touched her cheek with his hand, caressing the damp skin. He didn't know what to do, really; he's brought her this far, so now, somehow, Liam had to bring her back. He touched her face again, and brought his hand behind her neck, slowly massaging the faint hairline he found. Laura whimpered, and closed her eyes, caught between two worlds, two times. He touched her nose with his, trying to be gentle yet soothing. He pressed his face up against Jace's, breathing ever so soft words of comfort. She whimpered again, and turned to meet him on the bed, facing Liam. She forced her face into the crevice of his neck and shoulder, trying to run from the memory. He pulled her closer and continued to massage her neck and upper back, it seemed to relax her. The rain's pounding lessened to a soft rhythmic tapping against the apartment. 

At last, she was silent, being held like she had never been in childhood. _Laura… Laura…_ Liam whispered to her, and she felt his voice resonate through his throat and neck. She didn't want to pull away. 

"I'm so sorry… I am so sorry for what they did…" He murmured to her. "But don't run anymore… you don't have to hide. I'll be here. I'll be here…"

Jace felt like she was wrapped in… safeness, as if it was a tangible thing. His chest was strong and protective; his voice soothed her. His hands continued to rub her extremely sensitive neck. As the rain lulled her, she felt for the first time… content to not run or hide. Just to stay right where she was and fall… 

Liam sighed in heavy relief as Jace submitted to a long awaited peaceful sleep. He felt the tenseness of her body go limp and she relaxed under his touch. He turned his head slightly, giving her room to breathe, because he doubted that much oxygen could reach her face considering how far she had nuzzled into his neck.

Liam had a lot to think about now… about why or how he cared so much for Laura, about how he was going to save her life, to find this cure, do his job, keep the Taelons happy, think about – how soft the bed was and warm Jace was and her arms wrapped around… him… and…

* * *

Renee spent the majority of the evening with Auger, Street, and Hubble. God it had been hilarious. Hubble wanted Jace for more testing. God, she was beginning to think the humans were as bad as the Taelons. Auger totally cussed Hubble out, and Hubble stormed out of the conference room. Now, at long last, she was home, on her couch, thinking the day over. Had she been more awake and aware, she might have noticed the suited man watching the conversation with unnatural interest.

***

Director Vosloo met with his men early the next morning in a local diner. The sun had yet to rise when they gathered at a booth.

"It's her then, you're sure?"

"Yes director. I'm positive she is connected to the ANA now." Vosloo snorted. That girl had more balls than was healthy. Then again, he was sure that's what had kept her alive thus far.

"We must finish the job. We cannot have our work fall into the filthy hands of the Taelons. It's time we finished her." The others agreed. 

***

There was a mouse that lived under the counter at the Flat Planet Café. He was white with Grey on his head, with a little white 'y' on his forehead. The storm had finally ceased last night, and the mouse basked in the early rays of golden sun. He liked to come out early, no humans, lots of left over crumbs.

Today, he decided to go for a little walk. He entered the building's electrical piping through open holes beneath the café's sink. He never chewed the wires, however; he was a smart mouse.

He traveled upward today, for last time the basement had been rather boring. Twitching his nose, he exited the pipes to find himself high above the floor. As he looked down, he saw two humans, curled next to each other. The light coming in from the window portrayed the peaceful looks on their faces. He paused for a moment, watching as the big one rolled over and embraced the other, still rasping that awful human snore. The mouse found this cute, but realized that someone discarded a chunk of bread close to the kitchen area of the apartment. He squeaked his farewell, and went in search of his breakfast. 

Jace dreamed. She dreamed about the cold, the howling. The same dream; the frigid cold, the terror and rage. But as she floated towards conciseness, she dreamt of warmth and something new, something she'd never dreamt before. Before she could grasp it, she was buried in the body of Liam.The previous night's pain was gone, only a whisper remained, the same whisper that she could never understand. Regardless, she looked into Liam's face, and realized that she'd found something important. Some she cared for, and trusted. Trust was something she had tried only once before… it was a dangerous thing. But that morning, listening to his breaths, looking into his face, Jace felt that just this once, the gamble of trust might have been worth it.

If only she had known that her past, while it was behind her now, was resurfacing. Not as a memory, but as a reality. 

Liam and Jace woke to the sound of his global going off. Liam struggled to reach it without falling of the bed. It was not successful. Jace cracked up at the sound of him thunking against the floor. He motioned for her to be quiet as he answered the call.

"Major! Where the hell are you?" Liam struggled to open his eyes; they felt like lead. Sandoval's tone was enough to jar him back to reality. 

"Oh shiiit… the ceremony!" Liam cried, remembering the diplomatic session that was scheduled for today.

"That's right. Try to be here as soon as you can."

"Jace, I gotta go…" He scrambled to his feet, but Jace was standing in the doorway. How did she get there without making a sou-

She smiled. It was the first smile that Liam had seen that was… real, true and bright.

"I'll see ya." She scampered away then, leaving Liam to race to Da'an's side.

Jace left Liam's apartment with a sense of relief… a weight was gone and she was light and happy again. She rounded a corner with a bounce in her step, but something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Her 'cat sense' was on full alert, she was being followed – 

She began to run, full speed. Vosloo smirked as his sniper shot her down only a few paces later. They had just administered the full hangman's drop… her time was over now.

***

Sandoval and Liam sat at the conference, as always, keeping a good watch on there little aliens. 'God,' Liam thought, 'I must be more tired that I thought.'

The conference was running waaaaay over schedule, it had been nine hours already. Only after Da'an peaceful end speech, did Liam escort his companion out of the building. As they walked to the shuttle, his global went off.

"Yes?"

"Liam!!!" Even Da'an, a few feet over, could sense the urgency in Renee's voice.

"What? What is-"

"It's Jace! Hurry Liam.. there isn't much time…"


	5. Chapter five: the injection

Chapter five: the bouncer

Chapter five: the infection

Liam stood tensely at resistance HQ. A very bad thing had happened. Very bad. 

"I was walking to Liam's apartment to drop off that dream tech he'd asked for," Street explained, "When I saw Jace get zapped with some energy weapon and bam! She fell down. These guys in weird gray suits hauled her into a Lexus and then took off."

Renee asked her to remember the license but Liam had the feeling these weren't the kind of people that could be easily found.

* * *

Jace opened her eyes to a bare and empty room. Cursing, she stood, her body screaming from the electric blast she'd lost consciousness to earlier. 

"About time, Laura." She turned to her left, to see good ol' Vosloo with two suited thugs at his side.

"Fuck you, suit man." She replied, and advanced on her captor. His two body guards moved infront of him.

"You think you can take them without shifting? Feel different, Laura?" Her eyes opened in horror…

"You… didn't…"

"Damn right I did. Your time is over drw-2002." Her rage grew just, and green eyes flared. But they had injected her with the Hangman's serum… and no matter how hard she tried, she could not shift. Enraged, she attacked the trio infront of her.

The two bodyguards tried to grab her, but they were assaulted with a hail of fierce kicks. She whirled like a tornado, demonstrating flowing martial arts. They were no match, and within a few moments, piled on the floor at Vosloo's feet.

"I'm impressed, Laura." She was panting hard, but her eyes showed her rage, strong as ever.

"I was a bouncer after I left this shithole. For a year. Then I moved to a less bruising job." She wiped the sweat from her brow. She felt very hot, like her body was on fire.

"Feeling it yet, Laura? That's the feeling of time catching up to you. You can't run from your own mortality. You can't hide. You are through, so give up now." 

Her hands clenched with anger. She turned to the steel door and smashed it in, with unnatural strength. Yells emanated from the other side, because the door was not operable now…

And then, she savored the look of Vosloo as her heaving body leaned close to his terrified face…

"Not… without… you…"

***

"Let's go over this again. Where would they have taken her? Is there anyway to trace her?" Renee paced around HQ, her eyebrows knitted in thought. Her heals clicked away as Street and Auger both pecked into their keyboards.

"How about I hack into her FBI file again?" Street suggested. Auger shrugged.

Renee turned away, frustrated. Her eyes found Liam, sprawled out on the couch, eyes lost in thought.

"Liam?" She asked, moving towards him, but the protector didn't respond. She touched his shoulder, causing Liam to start.

"What about the place they tested her! Auger, search "Project Genova" in the government database," He blurted out.

After several moments of silence, Auger pulled up blueprints of a building.

"Is this what we are looking for?" He asked. Liam didn't but it was a start. 

"Let's check it out, Renee," he said as he grabbed his jacket.

They arrived in a deserted area of Nevada, following the coordinates Auger was sending. Infront of Renee and Liam stood a tall gray building; old, desolate and damaged. The wind was all that broke the eerie silence.

Solemnly, Liam led Renee through the rusty barbed wire fences. There were several 'condemned' signs hanging on the cracking cement walls. 

"Oh my god, Liam…" He turned to face Renee, whom had her hand over her mouth, staring at something beyond a small hill. He followed her, and saw the most awful sight; weathered by time, the dry, parched ground protruded bones, as if spitting them from its maw. It was a mass grave that seemed to last several hundred meters. Renee turned away, and quickly walked back to the building. Liam also turned away, disgusted by the sight.

They entered the building close to each other, disturbed by the eerie silence and general feeling of uneasiness. The halls were dark and gray, with rooms, cells, on each side. Liam paused to try and make out something written on the wall when Renee let out a shrill cry. 

He ran to her, and she turned again, gasping his shirt. A moment passed before Liam's eyes adjusted to the darkness, for only a small hole let in any light. The cell was drenched in dried blood, splattered again the ceiling, streaking the cement walls. Hand prints… no, something else portrayed a struggle, and deep etchings covered the leftmost wall… _claw marks._ It reeked of death, and the two felt stifled and left immediately back to the outer hallway. 

"Something… horrible happened here," Liam murmured. Bloody foot and paw prints lined the floor, different kinds of paw prints, different animals. Lead bullet holes adorned every cell. 

"God Liam, it's like something from a nightmare…" He nodded. Jace's nightmare, only for her, it had been a reality. "Liam! Come here!" Renee pointed to more scratches on the wall, seeming done with a sharp strong object. Something or someone had obscured the message.

Beware Genova's children; their vengeance will be stated

Vosloo is our death-

We will find an

save the first and she will 

"What?" Renee shook her head, confused. Liam remembered hearing the name Vosloo before… He opened his global to call the mothership.

"What is it Major?"

"Sandoval, I have something extremely important to ask you." Sandoval's eyebrows rose. "I overheard you speaking about man named Vosloo last week… I need to know who he is." Liam knew Sandoval probably wouldn't talk, but if he did know, then maybe Liam could get it out of him.

"Why Major, why would you want to know that?" Liam sighed.

"Because he may be connected to the missing girl Zo'or wants." Again, Sandoval looked surprised.

"Tell me the truth. Do you have a lead?"

"Perhaps, if we find this Vosloo." Sandoval seemed to be debating. Then, a miracle occurred. 

"I will send you his name, address, and what I know on one condition, Kincaid."

"Most anything."

"Don't give her to Zo'or, Major. I want to have… an edge over him. Let me know first." Liam was beaming inside.

"I promise, Sandoval. I promise."

As the data was transferred over his global, one last remark came from the mothership.

"Major, he has a serum. A killer serum. If he finds her, he will kill her. You must get to him first." Those words turned Renee and Liam's blood cold.

***

The world seemed overly bright to Jace. Her body was aching and on fire, and her vision was getting blurry. 

Vosloo's unconscious form was now only a blur to her. She had enjoyed knocking him across the room, even if it was her last action on earth.

It was hard to move, to breathe, even think. Her thoughts were of her own demise at first… then of her life. Of the resistance, and then- her heart cried out as she realized that her past, her dear friends and support would never know, would never see her again. Tears dripped down her face as her eyes closed.

***

"He's a director in the CIA. A clean record, nothing notable, not like what you describe," Auger reported.

"If he has a global, we can trace it, maybe," Street suggested. Liam nodded hastily, and soon they had a lock on the man called Vosloo.

***

Vosloo groaned, his head throbbing. He opened his eyes to hear people shouting outside the room. His bodyguards were in a heap on the floor, now accompanied by the bitch known and Laura Denoven. Than God she was done and over with now. 

More cries came from outside the room. He hear something like an energy stick or something… at last, someone was getting him out of this hellhole. 

The door burst open, but that wasn't en employee, who was - *Thud* The man called Vosloo returned to the floor whence he came, and resistance members flooded the area and Liam burst through the door. 


End file.
